I don't post here often but I thought I'd share this info just in case someone Googles the problem. This did not happen quickly, but gradually. I have a 2014 Prius Three. What I noticed, starting about a year ago: -I started getting worse mileage. I used to average 45 mpg, and then last year just barely 32 mpg. -Battery meter sometimes go from 7 bars down to 2 bars in a single acceleration -For the first time, I saw the battery drained to just 1 bar! I've never seen this before. -The car felt sluggish, and getting worse every week -I started burning more oil than normal. I would top off with 1 quart about every month. I think this is because the ICE is being used more and more since the battery couldn't keep up with the demand. -There was a rattle in the front when the battery is low and I slowly accelerate. It turns out that this was being caused by the (now) low output of the battery. Then last month, I finally got the "check hybrid system" warning. The car is still drivable, but only with gas and it felt rough. The electric part doesn't even kick in anymore. I disconnected the 12V battery for a couple minutes and it cleared the error. I thought maybe that was just a fluke so I kept driving it. It was trouble free for about a month then the error showed up again. This time I decided to take it to the dealer. The battery is dead, and I was told it's a $5K repair, but thankfully the warranty covered it. The warranty is good for 10 years / 150K miles (whichever comes first). I see some posts saying they're still on original battery at 200K+ miles so I'm a little surprised that mine died at only 87K miles. The car is only 5 years old. I suspect my slow, everyday commute killed it. I'm stuck in VERY SLOW traffic about 3 hrs everyday. Thankfully, Toyota covered the repair and my car is running like new again.
You could drive it somewhere for an hour or more once in a while to get the battery to cycle through several times. Or get the battery charger for the hybrid battery and charge it once a month or so....
it is unusual, but that's why there is a warranty, it happens. it's not your driving, just defective. do you get the balance of the warranty, or is it 3/36 now?
I doubt that would have killed it. These cars are designed to make the best of that kind of situation, but there must be a reason your HV battery died an early death. Do you ever travel with pets in the car? Has the battery fan ever been cleaned?
Seeing how the car is not drive much it doesn't give the engine enough time to charge the battery to full(80%?) charge. Even though they are not supposed to have a memory effect, they do. Possibly why they battery failed. Even the prolog page says it's good to use there battery charger to fully charge, and balance the battery. Which supposedly makes the battery last longer. But it's a mute point since Toyota warrantied the battery and replaced it for them.
Documentation please. I don't think you can find any reliable, non-biased source that will back that up. Self appointed Internet experts and businesses with something to gain by twisting the facts slightly do NOT qualify as reliable sources.
First, I have NOTHING to gain or lose! I have NEVER, nor will I EVER claim to be a "Self appointed Internet experts and businesses with something to gain by twisting the facts slightly do NOT qualify as reliable sources", like yourself. There are some people who just want to argue. It won't matter what anyone else says, does, or prove, they will state the opposite, right or wrong, just to try to start an argument. If YOU wish to search Prius chat, you possibly could find where someone had some documentation stating that the Prius battery doesn't suffer from the memory problem. NiMH batteries are not supposed to have a memory problem, Every battery manufacturer states that, but they will. I noticed this with 100 plus ones I've used. And good luck finding any "non-biased source" about anything. Like the 12volt battery. I've read on Prius Chat that you SHOULD/NEED to replace the 12 volt battery after 4,5,6,7.... years because it's bad. I've yet to see ANY real documents to say which is correct. So which is it? Each posts their own documents proving each year. My PERSONAL "OPINION" is that they are all correct. Because part of it depends on how well each battery is made, quality, heat, cold, how much demand/stress is put on the battery. About 60 years ago I learned to listen to ALL opinions and then base my decision on what to do on that.
Actually it very well may have been a contributing factor. That's almost "taxi-like" in that there is lots of battery use which is not what the Prius is meant to do, but it can do. One reason why fleet vehicles are exempted from the warranty. It is harsher than "normal" driving. 76k miles of taxi driving in LA heat... Unusually low still, but not ridiculously crazy. Glad you got the Toyota warranty replacement though!
So is it your opinion that the battery is stressed more by continually being at a relatively low (40 to 50%) SOC? That would be the only difference I could see between this type of driving and normal. I've spent some time in heavy traffic and noted that the ICE will start when the MFD shows 2 bars and will turn off again when it reaches 3 or 4. If it were able to fully recharge, say 6 bars, would that promote longer life? Would that be due to a type of "memory effect" or will the battery become more overheated under those conditions? I think it is fair to assume the cabin temperature is maintained at a comfortable level, whether in heavy traffic or not.
Not a memory effect, and not stressed just staying low. But the times I've driven in SoCal the slow rush hour driving is a mixture of going really slowly with high AC to speeding up just to slam on the brakes every minute. So the battery does go way up and then way down.
So your argument would be that rush hour driving causes more cycling of the battery? It would be better to keep it at a fairly constant level of 5 or 6 bars throughout the entire length of the drive? Sounds reasonable.
And you don't understand that qualifies you as a "self appointed expert" ?? When you disagree with ALL of the recognized experts in the field, the odds are huge that you are wrong. Supply some proof or admit that it is just your opinion.
Spouted by a self-appointed internet expert that has been PROVEN to know very little about how hybrid systems or internal combustion engines work in real life.
Really ? Dredge up some proof or step away from the microphone. And that is not a claim that I have never made a mistake and said something wrong on here because I likely have.
